Natalie Frank's Symbolist-Inspired Paintings Explore Trauma and the Subconscious
Natalie Frank's interior artworks depict frail, diminished figures confined within shrinking spaces, representing the disintegration of mental states during trauma or dreams. Her creations echo the late-nineteenth-century Symbolism movement, drawing comparisons to artists such as Odilon Redon and Gustave Moreau, emphasizing imagination over tangible existence. In her 2013 piece 'Portrait in Interior with Window,' a distorted female form reclines on a bed while an incubus hovers nearby, reinterpreting Henry Fuseli's 1781 work 'The Nightmare' without the typical male fantasy, instead fostering empathy for the woman. Frank's figures embody alienation, with dreams serving as distinct languages. Her art critiques a society fixated on connectivity, unveiling deceptive identities and a concealed, darker reality akin to Symbolist themes. This article originally appeared in December 2013.
Key facts
- Natalie Frank's paintings feature figures in contracting interior spaces representing trauma and dreaming
- Her work connects to late-19th century Symbolism and artists like Odilon Redon, Gustave Moreau, and Fernand Khnopff
- The 2013 painting 'Portrait in Interior with Window' references and refutes Henry Fuseli's 1781 work 'The Nightmare'
- Frank's subjects experience alienation and focus on individual distress rather than historical allegory
- Erotic energy increases fracture when encountering the sexual other in her work
- Her paintings contrast with contemporary society's obsession with connectivity and constructed personas
- Frank suggests the mind's reality remains dark and hidden despite modern superficial connections
- The article was first published in December 2013
Entities
Artists
- Natalie Frank
- Odilon Redon
- Gustave Moreau
- Fernand Khnopff
- Henry Fuseli
- Neo Rauch
Institutions
- ArtReview